The humming grew louder but it was a simple, happy tune.
And not the type people make during an apocalypse.
Then the bedroom door creaked open.
"Rio? Are you still in bed? The sun has been up for hours, get your lazy ass up!"
He slowly turned his head and standing in the doorway was Ellie in flesh and blood.
She was wearing a faded apron and holding a spatula.
Her hair wasn't matted with blood; it was tied back in a messy ponytail. She looked healthy and alive.
"Ellie..." Rio's voice shook. It was a tiny, jagged whisper.
"Don't 'Ellie' me!" she huffed, stepping into the room and opening the curtains.
The morning light flashed into Rio's eyes, stinging them.
"The landlord called again. If you don't find a new guild to carry bags for, we're going to be sleeping on the street by Monday. Get up! I made toast."
Rio sat up, his legs trembling. He wanted to run to her and scream to hide, or run, to anywhere even though it means away from him.
All because he couldn't witness the gory image of her death.
But as he looked at her, the [1,000x Wrath System] pulsed behind his eyes.
A red border framed her figure, analyzing her like she was a target.
[Target: Ellie (Civilian)]
[Status: Healthy]
[Threat Level: Zero]
Rio squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the screen away.
He stood up and followed her into the tiny kitchen. The smell of burnt bread filled the air.
To Rio, who had spent years eating gray monster-meat rations in the mud, it smelled like heaven.
"Eat," Ellie said, sliding a plate with two pieces of dry, slightly charred toast in front of him. "I have to get to my shift at the cafe."
Rio picked up a piece of bread. His hands were shaking. He took a single, small bite.
Suddenly, his body reacted.
[Notification: Consuming 1x Piece of Bread.]
[System Trigger: 1,000x Multiplier Applied.]
[Result: 1,000x Calories and Nutrients Detected!]
It was only one bite, but Rio's stomach suddenly felt like it had been stuffed with a ten-course meal.
A massive wave of heat rushed from his gut to his fingertips. His skin turned a faint, angry red.
Ugh! Rio gasped, dropping the toast.
The energy was pure and violent. His muscles went stiff.
He felt like he had just swallowed a gallon of liquid fire. He could feel his pulse thumping in his neck, each beat sounding like a drum.
[Warning: Excess Energy Detected.]
[Body cannot withhold 1,000x caloric intake. Physical strain is increasing.]
"Rio? What's wrong?" Ellie asked, leaning over the table.
"Is it too burnt? You look like you're having a heart attack."
"I'm... fine," Rio groaned through gritted teeth. He gripped the edge of the wooden table to steady himself.
Crrr-ack.
The wood under his fingers turned to sawdust immediately.
He pulled his hands back quickly, hiding them under the table. He was sweating buckets. He needed to move.
He needed to hit something, or this energy would rip him apart from the inside.
"I just... forgot I had an appointment," Rio lied, his voice strained.
"An appointment? With who? You haven't had an interview in weeks," Ellie said, crossing her arms.
Before Rio could answer, a heavy BOOM echoed from the hallway.
It was the sound of a heavy boot hitting a door very hard.
Then he heard the laughter.
It was a wet, raspy chuckle that belonged to a man named Garen.
In the old timeline, Garen was the debt collector for the Iron Fist Gang.
He was the man who used to visit every Friday to break Rio's ribs just to make sure he remembered who he owed.
On every visit, he would look at Ellie with hungry predatory eyes while Rio begged for mercy on the floor.
"Hey, Scum!" Garen's voice boomed through the thin apartment walls.
"I know you're in there eating breakfast while I'm out here waiting for my money! Open up before I break this door!"
Rio's eyes snapped toward the door.
The heat in his stomach turned to a volcano.
The Wrath symbol in his vision stopped blinking and turned into a solid, glowing blade.
[System Notification: Enemy Detected.]
[Would you like to vent excess energy? Yes/No]
Rio looked at his shaking hands. He looked at Ellie, who was pale with fear.
Finally, he thought. Something I can actually hit.